grey
/ɡreɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [ɡrˈe] /ɡreɪ/ (ame, ipa)
grey — adjective
- greypositive
- greyercomparative
- greyestsuperlative
1. having the colour that results from mixing black and white, like the colour of a
having the colour that results from mixing black and white, like the colour of an elephant's skin or a cloudy sky
Ife wore a grey sweater to the office party last night.
The old stone wall had turned a soft grey colour over the years.
grey + noun (stone wall, colour)
Constanza painted her bedroom walls a light grey to match the furniture.
A grey cat sat quietly on the wooden fence in the backyard.
The museum shop sold scarves in shades of grey and white.
2. relating to hair that is no longer its original colour but has turned to white o
relating to hair that is no longer its original colour but has turned to white or grey shades, most often due to ageing
Haruto's father is quite young but already has grey hair at the sides.
grey hair
Tara noticed more grey strands in her mother's hair each time she visited.
The grey-haired man at the corner shop always greets customers with a smile.
Walid's beard started turning grey when he was in his late forties.
The family photo showed three generations, from black hair to full grey.
用法筆記
Often used with a possessive before the noun (his grey hair, her grey beard). Can also appear in the compound adjective 'grey-haired' before a noun. Frequently carries no negative connotation — simply a neutral observation of ageing.
3. relating to the sky or the weather at times when thick cloud cover blocks out su
relating to the sky or the weather at times when thick cloud cover blocks out sunlight, making the day appear dim
The sky was grey and heavy with rain clouds all morning.
grey sky for cloudy weather
On a grey winter afternoon, the city looked quiet and still.
Putri decided to stay home because the weather was cold and grey.
Despite the grey sky, the children played outside in the garden.
用法筆記
Typically describes the sky or the general weather, not specific rain events. A 'grey' day can be dry but overcast. Often paired with 'cold', 'dull', or 'wet'.
4. lacking interest, variety, or brightness of mood; making you feel dull or slight
lacking interest, variety, or brightness of mood; making you feel dull or slightly unhappy
Life in the small mining town felt grey and empty after the factory closed.
The novel describes the grey reality of office life with no excitement at all.
grey + abstract noun (reality, life, existence)
The report painted a grey picture of the company's future earnings.
Ingrid tried to hide her grey mood, but her silence gave it away.
The children found the museum tour grey and kept asking when it would end.
- dull
very similar; focuses on lack of excitement or sharpness
- gloomy
stronger negative feeling; suggests sadness or hopelessness
- bleak
strongest of the group; suggests a hopeless, unwelcoming situation
- colourless
focuses on lack of distinctive character or personality
用法筆記
Used metaphorically — the speaker compares a situation, mood, or thing to the unexciting colour grey. Common in phrases like 'a grey existence' or 'grey outlook'. Slightly more literary than 'boring' but less intense than 'bleak'.
常見錯誤
5. having a position, nature, or character that falls between two clear categories
having a position, nature, or character that falls between two clear categories and is therefore hard to classify or judge clearly
The new regulations operate in a grey area between legal and illegal.
grey area (most common fixed phrase for this sense)
Aarav's responsibilities at work fall into a grey zone between assistant and manager.
The border region remains a grey, disputed territory claimed by both countries.
Eli's answer was purposely grey — neither a clear yes nor a definite no.
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'grey area' (or US 'gray area'). Can describe legal, ethical, social, or categorical uncertainty. The adjective alone ('grey answer', 'grey position') is less common but acceptable in formal writing.
grey — noun
- greysingular
- greysplural
1. the neutral shade you get by blending black and white, similar to the tint of cl
the neutral shade you get by blending black and white, similar to the tint of clouds before rain or a donkey's coat
The artist mixed black and white paint to create different shades of grey.
shades of grey
Liam chose a soft grey for the living room walls to create a calm atmosphere.
In the old photograph, the bright colours had faded to grey over the years.
The fashion magazine said grey is the new neutral for autumn outfits.
- greyness
the quality or state of being grey; more abstract
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to the colour in general ('Grey is my favourite colour'). Countable in the plural when referring to specific shades ('The painting uses many greys'). In British English the spelling is 'grey'; American English prefers 'gray'.
grey — verb
- greypresent simple I / you / we / they
- greys3rd person singular
- greying-ing form
- greyedpast simple
1. when a person's hair turns to a white or grey shade, happening little by little
when a person's hair turns to a white or grey shade, happening little by little as part of the natural ageing process
Christopher's hair began to grey when he was only thirty-two years old.
begin/start to grey
The old fisherman's beard had greyed slowly over decades at sea.
As she aged, her long dark hair greyed at the temples first.
My grandmother is greying beautifully and says she has earned every white strand.
文法句型
grey (no object)
is greying
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot 'grey your hair' (that would be 'dye your hair grey'). Often used in continuous form ('is greying') to describe a gradual process. Subject can be a person ('He is greying') or their hair specifically ('His hair is greying').
常見錯誤
2. if the members of a group or population are greying, the average age of the grou
if the members of a group or population are greying, the average age of the group is rising because it contains more older people than before
The workforce in Japan has greyed significantly over the past twenty years.
greying workforce / greying population
As the population greys, the government must spend more on healthcare and pensions.
Rural villages across Spain are greying as young people move to the cities.
The university's staff is greying, with many professors near retirement age.
- age
simpler and more common; can describe any group getting older
- ageing (population)
the standard noun phrase for this demographic trend
文法句型
population/nation + is greying
用法筆記
Almost always used in continuous tenses ('is greying', 'has been greying'). The subject is a group, organisation, or population — not an individual person. Very common in policy discussions about demographic change. The noun form 'the greying of [population]' is also frequent.